We will remember them

From young women navigating heavily laden boats to canal-side defences built against invasion, the nation's canals helped keep Britain moving throughout the turmoil of war.

Long days, hard labour, paltry rations and pay to match. That was the harsh reality for the so-called ‘Idle Women’ – the brave women who worked the canals during the Second World War.

As scores of boatmen went off to fight on the front lines, women were drafted in to keep essential supplies moving. There was just one requirement: applicants had to be ‘of robust constitution’. Women came from all walks of life. Some were bombed-out Eastenders; others, debutantes with one later becoming a duchess. All had to endure hardship, sacrifice and show extraordinary resilience in the face of severe conditions.

In 1992, one of this hardy band of women, Olga Kevelos spoke to The Independent, saying: “It was absolutely hard work with no respite at all. From the moment you cast off in the morning, you just kept going till locks shut down or darkness made it impossible for you to go any farther.

Unlike the Land Girls we didn't get any extra rations and earned just £3 a week. We subsisted on cocoa with condensed milk, national loaf and peanut butter. I don't know how we managed to keep as fit as we did. I was always hungry. We used to gather swedes and potatoes from the fields as we passed.”

There were 45 in all, most in their early 20s, with little or no boating experience. They were dubbed ‘Idle Women’ because of the ‘IW’ insignia on their badges, the initials for ‘Inland Waterways’. But they were far from idle, undertaking gruelling, thankless work. Crews of three would transport loads of up to 50 tonnes of steel from London to Birmingham, before returning to the capital laden with Warwickshire coal. A round trip could take up to three weeks, with the women often working an 18-to 20-hour day.

Today, their remarkable contribution is fondly remembered and respected, for between 1943 and 1946, this small group of plucky young women helped to keep the wheels of industry moving in Britain’s darkest hour.

While the waterways played a vital role in securing supplies across Britain throughout the war, they were also recognised as strategic assets that would need protecting should invasion become a reality. In 1940, as Allied troops retreated from Dunkirk and Hitler eyed Britain from across the channel, the threat of invasion felt very real.

To defend our shores, a huge network of stop lines was created – inland barriers designed to slow any German advance. As natural breaks in the landscape, canals were often incorporated into these defensive lines.

The Kennet & Avon Canal formed part of the famous GHQ Line Blue, with concrete pill boxes dotted along its banks and tank traps installed at bridge crossings. Further north, wartime planners transformed the Leeds & Liverpool and Lancaster canals into fearsome anti-tank ditches bristling with fortifications.

Thankfully, the invasion never came. The RAF defeated the Luftwaffe in the skies above Britain. Today, many of these pill boxes still stand quietly beside our waterways. More than just relics of the past, they serve as a stark reminder of a period when the threat of invasion felt frighteningly real and communities across Britain prepared for the worst.

While our waterways provided ready-made defences for major towns and cities, they were not immune to attack themselves. As bombs rained down during the Blitz, ARP (Air Raid Precautions) wardens across the country installed stop planks and stop plates along urban canals to minimise flooding.

When the bombing raids reached Liverpool, the effects were felt far beyond the city streets. Canals were damaged, boats were destroyed and critical transport routes were disrupted. But the damage went beyond boats and buildings; with the canal drained, firefighters had less water to tackle the blazes raging across the city. For those living and working along the waterways, the terrifying raids brought the reality of war directly to their doorstep.

It was another reminder that the canals, so vital to Britain's war effort, could be seriously vulnerable. Yet, even in wartime, they had to keep moving, no matter what was thrown at them.

These stories remind us that our waterways have witnessed moments of both hardship and resilience, carrying not only supplies but also the experiences of those who lived through the conflict. As we pause to remember those who fought and died so courageously for our country, never forget that your support for our canals also helps carry their memory in our quiet waters. While many of those who contributed to the war effort are no longer with us, their stories remain woven into the fabric of our waterways.

By protecting these places today, your Friendship and support helps ensure that future generations can continue to learn from and remember those who served, sacrificed and kept Britain moving in its time of greatest need.